Rolled-up interest
How does rolled-up compound interest work on a lifetime mortgage?
All lifetime mortgage lenders offer rolled-up interest plans. With a rolled-up interest lifetime mortgage, the interest accrued does not need to be repaid each month and instead it’s added to the loan balance.
If the mortgage you take out is one where the whole amount of the interest is rolled-up, (you have the option to make repayments should you wish), that means at the end of the first year, the amount of interest charged will be added to the amount you originally borrowed. The following year, the interest will be compounded. This means interest will be calculated on the amount of your original borrowing, plus the interest, which was charged during the first year. The same process applies the following year and so on, so although the interest rate being charged remains fixed for life, it will be calculated on a larger amount each time, because the amount you owe will grow over time.
While it may appear that the amount owed is growing rather fast, it is very likely the value of your property will also be growing, which significantly offsets the compounding effect of the rolled-up interest.
If this still sounds a little confusing, please look at the case study below, which explains this.
In our case study, the figures are based on a male age 71 and a female age 69. According to mortality rates, the last person to pass away will do so in 19 years’ time, therefore, the figures detailed below are for a 20-year mortgage term.
The value of the property is £500,000 and these clients wish to borrow £175,000 for home improvements and gifting to family. They also intend to add our advice fee of £995 and solicitor’s fees of £900 to the total borrowing.
In this scenario, the applicable interest rate to the mortgage is 4.63% and all loan payments are rolled-up. The house price inflation applied to this scenario is 4.0%, which is set at a very conservative level. For example, average house price inflation in the whole of Buckinghamshire for a semi-detached house since the inception of land registry in 1996, to the present day is 6.88%.
You will see from the graph and figures below; the value of the home has risen to £1,095,562 and the equity release mortgage has rolled up to £437,361 over 20 years.

Product One initial balance £176,895
Property starting valuation £500,000
Year | Drawdowns | Interest | Payments | 31st Dec | Cost | 1st Jan | Increase | 31st Dec | Equity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | £0.00 | £8,190 | £0.00 | £185,085 | £185,085 | £500,000 | £20,000 | £520,000 | £334,915 |
2 | £0.00 | £8,569 | £0.00 | £193,655 | £193,655 | £520,000 | £20,800 | £540,800 | £347,145 |
3 | £0.00 | £8,966 | £0.00 | £202,621 | £202,621 | £540,800 | £21,632 | £562,432 | £359,811 |
4 | £0.00 | £9,381 | £0.00 | £212,002 | £212,002 | £562,432 | £22,497 | £584,929 | £372,927 |
5 | £0.00 | £9,816 | £0.00 | £221,818 | £221,818 | £584,929 | £23,397 | £608,326 | £386,509 |
6 | £0.00 | £10,270 | £0.00 | £232,088 | £232,088 | £608,326 | £24,333 | £632,660 | £400,571 |
7 | £0.00 | £10,746 | £0.00 | £242,834 | £242,834 | £632,660 | £25,306 | £657,966 | £415,132 |
8 | £0.00 | £11,243 | £0.00 | £254,077 | £254,077 | £657,966 | £26,319 | £684,285 | £430,208 |
9 | £0.00 | £11,764 | £0.00 | £265,841 | £265,841 | £684,285 | £27,371 | £711,656 | £445,815 |
10 | £0.00 | £12,308 | £0.00 | £278,149 | £278,149 | £711,656 | £28,466 | £740,122 | £461,973 |
11 | £0.00 | £12,878 | £0.00 | £291,028 | £291,028 | £740,122 | £29,605 | £769,727 | £478,700 |
12 | £0.00 | £13,475 | £0.00 | £304,502 | £304,502 | £769,727 | £30,789 | £800,516 | £496,014 |
13 | £0.00 | £14,098 | £0.00 | £318,601 | £318,601 | £800,516 | £32,021 | £832,537 | £513,936 |
14 | £0.00 | £14,751 | £0.00 | £333,352 | £333,352 | £832,537 | £33,301 | £865,838 | £532,486 |
15 | £0.00 | £15,434 | £0.00 | £348,786 | £348,786 | £865,838 | £34,634 | £900,472 | £551,686 |
16 | £0.00 | £16,149 | £0.00 | £364,935 | £364,935 | £900,472 | £36,019 | £936,491 | £571,556 |
17 | £0.00 | £16,896 | £0.00 | £381,831 | £381,831 | £936,491 | £37,460 | £973,950 | £592,119 |
18 | £0.00 | £17,679 | £0.00 | £399,510 | £399,510 | £973,950 | £38,958 | £1,012,908 | £613,398 |
19 | £0.00 | £18,497 | £0.00 | £418,007 | £418,007 | £1,012,908 | £40,516 | £1,053,425 | £635,417 |
20 | £0.00 | £19,354 | £0.00 | £437,361 | £437,361 | £1,053,425 | £42,137 | £1,095,562 | £658,201 |
Therefore, in this scenario the amount of equity available to the beneficiaries after the equity release mortgage has been repaid in full is: £658,201
However, if the actual house price inflation figure of 6.88% is applied to the same scenario, the amount of equity available to the beneficiaries after the mortgage has been repaid is: £1,454,542
All figures correct on August 2022.
This is a lifetime mortgage. To understand the features and risks, please ask for a personalised illustration. Check that this mortgage will meet your needs if you want to move or sell your home or you want your family to inherit it. If you are in any doubt, seek independent advice.
